ed the
Captain and everybody else on the boat about us. Then, when you thought
you had got all the information you wanted, you followed us."

"It's not true. You know it's a lie!" shouted the Professor.

"Be careful how you nag me on," warned the miner.

"You know you think nothing of the kind. What is it that you reckon to
say at some other time?"

"This," answered Darwood, tapping his holster significantly.

Tad laughed softly to himself. This angered the gold digger more than
ever.

"You folks get out of these hills! Go anywhere you want to, but get out
and get out quick. Some more of my men are coming along to-day. If you
are here to-night it will be the worse for you," threatened the miner.

"Which direction would you suggest our taking?" asked Tad in a soothing
voice.

"Go back the way you came. I don't care where you go."

"You are not consistent," laughed the freckle-faced boy. "You tell us
you don't care where we go, then you order us to proceed in a definite
direction. You are going too far, Mr. Darwood. When you have had a
chance to cool down I think you will look at this matter in a different
light. If you will use your head a little you will see it is not
possible that we could have had any previous knowledge of your plans or
of your gold mine. You had better make friends with us. We might be of
some use to you. Professor Zepplin is a scientist. He could give you
valuable help. Shall we call quits and shake hands? Come on."

The words that he would utter seemed to stick in the gold digger's
throat. He clutched twice at his holster, but the evident desire on his
part to use his pistol appeared to have no effect at all on the Pony
Rider outfit. Darwood knew very well that drawing his weapon would
practically be the end of himself, and this did not tend to make his
situation any better.

"I'll not shake hands with you. I am going back to my camp. If you
thieves are here by to-night I promise you there will be something
doing. I--"

Professor Zepplin strode forward, his whiskers bristling, his fists
clenched. The boys never had seen their guardian so angry.

"That for your threats!" he roared, shaking a fist under the nose of
Curtis Darwood. "Your threats don't frighten us. Your pistol doesn't
frighten us. We're not that kind."

The miner started to reply.

"Don't you open your mouth or I shall forget myself and slap your face.
Thieves!" Professor Zepplin struggled to master his emotions. "Th